VW Golf 8 (VIII) will be launched a few weeks ahead of ID electric car

It may seem that Volkswagen this year has been working overtime for the preview of its upcoming electric models --- the ID Buzz and the ID Crozz but somewhere in between, the German automaker continues to make new versions of its current vehicle lineup.

Soon to launch is the eighth generation Volkswagen Golf which will come in sequence with the very exciting premiere of Volkswagen’s ID electric hatchback. Speaking with Drive earlier this week, Jurgen Stackman, VW board member and sales & marketing head, said that the premiere of the new Golf should be expected in early 2018 which will be succeeded by the unveiling of the ID hatch. Further, Stackman ensures that the upcoming Golf 8 will be an extremely strong one that it wouldn’t matter at all if it will launch almost at the same time as the ID as both could hold up their own.

The board member however went on by saying there will no longer be an all-electric Golf down the line. Rather, Volkswagen will only add some new plugin hybrid varieties, including both diesel and petrol. The ID hatch will likely fill that void which will be offered at nearly the same price as VW Golf’s diesel variant. While we’ll no longer see a new generation e-Golf, Stackman insisted that the company at least still has the Golf plugin hybrid.

During the talk, he mentioned about the current Golf distribution of battery pack under the MQB platform. Stackman was describing how fantastic it appears but it was not very optimal. With the all-new MEB platform made especially for EVs, he believes it will help Volkswagen move forward into the electrified future. The new MEB platform will be the new fixture in the entire ID model range, which includes the ID Buzz and the ID Crozz.

For sure, there will be some new and more exciting Golf variants worthy of all the attention. Case in point; there’s the new Golf GTI with extra 40hp that will raise its output to 250hp. There is also the Golf R with additional 45hp bringing its total output to 350hp. We happened to learn that it will undergo some extreme weight loss as well perhaps to bring better aerodynamics.

If we are not mistaken, the new Golf R should be around 35kg to 70kg lighter. With all these changes, Volkswagen will likely add some big car tech features such as radar cruise control with active lane assist or even ADS. The entire Golf range will likely get a new interior upgrade which will include a large infotainment display measuring at least 8 inches and with an all-digital dashboard that you can avail by option.